E.W.O.S. #8: Matchday 2, Part II
Let's try eliminating some teams that are actually good...
As with the previous episode, we’ll focus on the unexpected with implications going forward.
Division 2:
Featured Match 1: Group B, Georgia vs. Tajikistan
A sparse crowd in Polokwane for this one, just 13,000, with two rather unheralded sides participating. Tajikistan would dominate the first half, with two Dzhalilov goals in the 14th and 31st minute to send the match to the locker room at 0-2, and it was not looking good for Georgia. Kvilitaia would find the net in the 54th minute to bring the match closer, and Davitashvili scored an amazing goal that rattled the woodwork twice to level the match at 2-2, where it would stay. A bit of a disappointment for both sides that were really hoping to make a statement, but each team only really put it together for half the game.
Featured Match 2: Group B, Finland vs. Uganda
The Ugandan fans made the trip to Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and the stadium was quite full, 44,000 in attendance. Nothing happened in the first half, and it would take Joel Pojhanpalo to break open the scoring for Finland in the 54th minute. Uganda responded by stepping up the tempo and continually giving Finland’s back line fits. It would pay off as Farouk Miya found the net in the 75th minute. 1-1. Finland did not manage to improve their organization and Emmanuel Okwi pulled off a great run to accept the past and fired it into the back of the net to give Uganda the lead in the 82nd minute. The match finished 1-2, and Uganda advanced to the Round of 16.
Match Results:
Group Standings:
Some Thoughts: Group B got the featured matches, but other than Uganda’s advancement, little is still known here. With Papua New Guinea out, can Solomon Islands beat an Ireland team probably focused on getting to the knockout rounds healthy and represent OFC? Are wins going to happen in Group A? We have the possibility of teams advancing without winning and/or teams being eliminated without losing here. Group H looks very interesting now, with all teams level on points, and the top two teams on goal difference playing each other. Cabo Verde-Haiti, Estonia-Venezuela, and Honduras-Vietnam are very straightfoward hyper-important matches coming up.
Division 1:
Featured Match 1: Group B, Norway vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo
The smallest stadium at any division above Division 5, the Antofagasta packed the house with a crowd of just 21,000 people, a fairly even split in the fanbases. Norway looked good for most of the first half of the match, outshooting DR Congo 8-5 and holding more of the possession, as well as finding the opening goal, a 35th minute header from Alexander Sørloth. Cédric Bakambu would equalize 8 minutes later with a nice sweeping ball. The first half ended 1-1. The second half was slow to get going, and both defensive lines held for quite some time. But it would not last forever. In the 84th minute, Meschak Elia would break through the defensive line of Norway and bend it around the keeper to put the African side up 1-2, which would be the final score.
Featured Match 2: Group H, Sweden vs. Montenegro
An even 40,000 here at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano here for a match between two quality European sides that nontheless saw Sweden heavily favored. A match of seriously strong defenses that refused to give an inch, we played 79 minutes of goalless soccer. Stefan Mugoša did land the corner kick redirect into the net in the 80th minute to put Montenegro on top 0-1, and things looked bleak for one of the tournament’s clear favorites indeed. But it only took 4 minutes for Robin Quaison to get the returning strike in the back corner of the net to equalize, and the match would terminate with a 1-1 draw.
Match Results:
Group Standings:
Some Thoughts: An unmitigated disaster for CONCACAF. They send three teams and not one of them even makes it to the final group match still in the tournament. Indeed, Scotland is the only non-CONCACAF team out after just 2 games. What are we doing out here? Peru-UAE will be one to watch, for sure. Unlike in the lower divisions, the top two divisions have no matches that are meaningless for both sides.
Next up will be the final matchday of the group stages!